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Ofwat Demonstrates Support for Self-Supply with Three More Licences

Three more forward-thinking companies have been granted self-supply licences for water and sewerage services, bringing the number of organisations taking this revolutionary route to eight since the market opened just eighteen months ago.

Heineken UK Ltd and Stonegate Pub Company join fellow hospitality giants Greene King, Whitbread, Marston’s and Coca Cola European Partners by choosing to self-supply, while Elis Group (formerly Berensden) becomes the first organisation in the industrial sector to be granted the opportunity. Blackpool Council also has a licence, spearheading change in the public sector.

In all cases, Waterscan will act as the companies’ managing agent and provide technical support and services (including meter reading, CMOS transactions, wholesaler management and finding further water efficiency savings) while the companies themselves will build direct relationships with wholesalers and pay water and sewerage charges through the settlement process.

A self-supply licence also uniquely enables companies to be active participants in the open water market. This will not only help improve understanding of customer needs, but also fuel innovation and drive down water consumption and costs in the longer term.

Neil Pendle, Managing Director at Waterscan, commented: “We are delighted to see that Ofwat is delivering on its commitment to reduce the complexity and timescales involved with applying for a self-supply licence. The granting of these licences is an important step in realising the ambitions of all the companies involved but it also signals support for innovative approaches to challenge the status-quo in the water sector as a whole. With eight organisations now eligible to self-supply, we can begin to realise its benefits at scale.

Self-supply is a logical next step for all the companies concerned. It is an opportunity for Elis, Heineken UK and Stonegate Pubs to build on the works they have already undertaken in implementing water cost and consumption controls and really takes their efforts to the next level. With water being such a key component in their business operations, any opportunity to act on this precious resource should be embraced. Self-supply offers just this opportunity and we very much look forward to demonstrating how it can bring about positive impacts to their sustainability and financial agendas.”